Water
comes in two forms, hard and soft. The difference between these two types of
water is the mineral content. Hard water contains a larger amount of mineral
deposits compared to soft water. The hardness or softness of water is actually
measured by the content of calcium carbonate in it. This is expressed in
relation to a specific volume of water. Units used are grains per gallon (gpg),
parts per million (pmm) or milligrams per liter (mg/L).
Hard
water is usually converted into soft water in households. This is because it is
known to leave some deposits of calcium in the pipes thus messing with the
plumbing. Pipes can get clogged and the amount of water passing through them
reduces with time. Faucets, dishwashers, shower heads and heating elements in
water heaters can get clogged as well. Heating efficiency is reduced as a
result and the water leaves marks on dishes. Working soap into good foam
becomes a little more difficult as well.
Conventional water
softening
The
regular and common method used to soften water is a process that entails
removing magnesium and calcium from water and replacing them with sodium. This makes
it softer and therefore reduces the scale that is calcium deposits. This can be
described as an ion-exchange process. Water softeners can easily be found in
stores locally.
This
procedure however comes with a few disadvantages.
· Soft water takes a much
longer time to remove soap. This will leave a slippery feeling on your hands.
· Increased sodium intake
is not that good for your health. How much you take in will be determined by
the amount of water that you drink and how hard your water is. You can opt for
a separate tap that you can use for hard water which can be used for drinking
water only.
· You will need to
frequently add salt to this system.
· Sodium causes corrosion
on the inside of the pipes while calcium deposits seem to prevent corrosion.
· This softening system
will often require a regeneration process. This is where the magnesium and
calcium that was removed is completely washed out and the water dumped down the
drain. Some water will definitely be wasted but the amount depends on how much
water is softened.
· Soft water tastes a
little different and others may not like it.
Magnetic water
treatment
Two
strong neodymium magnets are placed on either side of a pipe that holds
incoming hard water. Neodymium
magnets have a very strong magnetic field
and this goes through the water. No calcium is taken out in this procedure but
a change occurs in the calcium.
The
change is only visible with an electron microscope but with time you should see
a difference with your naked eye. Passing hard water through a strong magnetic
field changes the structure of the calcium deposits. In hard water the calcium
deposits are known as calcite and these have small beads and clings onto
surfaces. Magnetically treated water forms deposits of aragonite, which is a
form of calcium that has longer strips and is less likely to cling to surfaces
and form scale.
For more information about various magnets, please visit http://www.samaterials.com/213-rare-earth-magnets.
